Southwest Notes: Jackson, Hawkins, Paul, Rockets
Grizzlies forward GG Jackson is already making strides as a rebounder in Summer League play, writes Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. Jackson notched two straight double-doubles in scoring and rebounding during his first four Summer League contests. Cole notes that Memphis is frequently tasking the second-year forward with some of the team’s toughest defensive assignments.
On Thursday, Jackson helped the Grizzlies stay undefeated, showing off his improved play-making skills with a six-assist performance, adds Cole in another story. Memphis beat the Clippers in their Summer League semifinal matchup Sunday, and on Monday will square off against the winner of an ongoing Heat-Warriors playoff semifinal.
Jackson was selected with the No. 45 pick out of South Carolina in last year’s draft. The 6’9″ forward quickly emerged as one of the most impressive players in the 2023 class, earning an All-Rookie Team berth for his efforts. Across 48 games (18 starts), Jackson averaged 14.6 points on a .428/.357/.752 shooting line while also chipping in 4.1 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.6 steals and 0.5 blocks per night.
There’s more out of the Southwest Division:
- Second-year Pelicans shooting guard Jordan Hawkins departed his last game of Summer League with an ankle injury, but X-rays on the ailment were negative, reports Christian Clark of NOLA.com (Twitter link). The No. 14 pick out of UConn, Hawkins averaged 7.8 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 1.0 assists during his 2023/24 rookie season.
- In a new interview with Cyro Asseo de Choch of HoopsHype, third-year Spurs guard Blake Wesley reflected on the club’s decision to add 12-time All-Star veteran Chris Paul in free agency over the summer. “He’s a great dude,” Wesley said. “We just worked out with him not too long ago at Summer League. Yeah. So it’s good. He’s a great dude. He’s talking to me, coaching me, telling me to go handle the ball. So I’m enjoying it so far, and I can’t wait to learn and get the knowledge. Really take what he has. So I’m excited.” One of the great facilitators and shooters in the history of the game, Paul has shown an ability to help develop younger guards, so his addition could greatly abet Wesley.
- The Rockets enjoyed an active Summer League run, writes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle in a piece unpacking his takeaways from the event. No. 3 draft pick Reed Sheppard has already impressed as a scorer, averaging 20 points per game, though he has struggled with protecting the ball.
California Notes: Bronny, Post, Podziemski, Clippers
Following a pair of promising Summer League outings, Lakers rookie point guard Bronny James sat out the team’s Las Vegas finale, a 107-81 blowout of the Bulls, writes Mark Anderson of The Associated Press.
Across his last two available games, the 6’2″ USC alum scored 25 points while shooting 10-of-21 from the floor, including going a respectable 3-of-8 on three-pointers after missing all 15 of his outside attempts prior to that.
“He had two pretty good games last two,” Summer League head coach Dane Johnson said. “I think it’s just going to help him going into the summer so we can work on different things with him. Just that confidence and knowing he can play at this level. It’s still going to take a lot of time and a lot of reps.”
There’s more out of California:
- After dealing with a leg injury, rookie Warriors big man Quinten Post had a stellar Summer League debut on Friday, writes Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area. “We wanted to make sure he was healthy before he got on the floor, so he was on a minutes restriction, from 12 to 15,” assistant general manager Larry Harris told Poole. “The biggest thing we saw right away is that offensively he was what we’re hoping he can be… Moves well, can run up and down the floor and he can pass. He handles the ball for a big guy and, obviously, shoots the three well. The offensive side, we feel pretty good about.” The seven-footer was selected with the No. 52 pick out of Boston College. In a 90-83 win, Post notched 10 points while shooting 4-of-7 from the floor (2-of-4 from long range), three rebounds, one dime and one steal in just 14 minutes of action.
- Speaking to Chris Haynes on ESPN’s Summer League broadcast on Saturday (YouTube video link), rising second-year Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski discussed Klay Thompson‘s decision to depart the team for the Mavericks in free agency. “So for me, just appreciating his presence, appreciating everything he shared with me from an on-court and off-court perspective, and getting a call from him a couple days ago and just, him telling me I’ll always have a brother in him for life is pretty cool,” the All-Rookie First Teamer said.
- The Clippers will debut on owner Steve Ballmer‘s brand-new home court, the Intuit Dome, at the start of the 2024/25 season. Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN revealed details of the new $2 billion arena, which includes a state-of-the-art video halo called the “Halo Board.” Ballmer is looking forward to having far more scheduling flexibility than he had previously experienced while sharing space with the Lakers and the NHL’s L.A. Kings at Crypto.com Arena. “We got to build a place that is our house,” Ballmer said. “We got to put the energy in our house. We didn’t want to play too many Monday nights against Monday Night Football. We don’t want to play as many Saturday games.”
International Notes: Hayes-Davis, Winston, Gill, Hommes
Suns All-NBA combo forward Kevin Durant, who is in London with Team USA ahead of the Paris Olympics, believes USA Select Team forward Nigel Hayes-Davis, currently playing for EuroLeague club Fenerbahce, is good enough to be an NBA player, according to Cesare Milantiurant of Eurohoops.
“I think he has the talent to be in the NBA,” Durant said. “He’s been showing that so far, he’s showed that in college, and playing in the EuroLeague. Hopefully, he gets this opportunity, but he just loves to play regardless and he will play and work on his game until he can no more. Hopefully, he’s in the league soon.”
A Wisconsin alum, Hayes-Davis has appeared in nine total NBA games, all during the 2017/18 season, for the Lakers, Raptors, and Kings. The 6’8″ wing boasts averages of 3.0 points, 2.4 rebounds and 0.7 assists in those games.
Here’s more from around the basketball world at large:
- Former Wizards point guard Cassius Winston has inked a new deal with Italian pro club Pallacanestro Reggiana, reports Alessandro Maggi of Sportando. The 6’1″ vet appeared in 29 games with Washington from 2020-22, averaging 1.9 points and 0.7 assists in 4.7 minutes per contest.
- Despite earning interest from multiple European clubs including Barcelona and Anadolu Efes, Wizards backup power forward Anthony Gill is not considering a return to play there, reports Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. In 2023/24, Gill appeared in 50 contests for Washington, starting three. He averaged 3.8 points and 1.9 boards per night.
- Former two-way Pelicans combo forward Daulton Hommes, who never played an NBA game for New Orleans, is departing Dolomiti Energia Trentino to link up with an as-yet unnamed EuroLeague team, per Dario Skerletic of Sportando.
Brandon Miller Talks USA Select Team, Josh Green, More
Following a high-scoring All-Rookie First Team debut season, Hornets forward Brandon Miller was invited to play for the USA Select Team against a stacked U.S. Olympic squad.
The Alabama alum reflected on the experience during a conversation with Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.
“I think that put me in a great place out there competing with the best at the highest level,” Miller said. “Of course, we were having fun competing. I think that was a great moment for me to be out there and show what I can bring to a team against top talent. It was a great opportunity.”
Miller is talented enough on the court that it’s conceivable he could make the actual Team USA squad for a future Olympics competition. Across 74 games last year (68 starts), the 6’9″ forward posted averages of 17.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.6 blocks per game with a .440/.373/.827 shooting line for the 21-61 Hornets.
His full conversation with Scotto is well worth reading in full. Below are some select highlights.
On his decision to partake in a second straight Summer League:
“I think it was to feel out the new coaching staff [under first-year head coach Charles Lee] because it’s going to be a new thing for everybody this year. I wanted to see how they wanted us to play. I think it also sets the tone (as far as leadership) for the year that we have coming up.”
On the addition of high-upside young shooting guard Josh Green to the team via trade:
“I think he brings a lot of defensive energy for us. I think that’s one thing we want to focus on this year, which is locking down on the defensive side. I think our defense will lead to our offense and transition. Josh is going to help us with that and, of course, his ability to knock down open shots. I think that’ll be big for us.”
On what fans can expect out of the club across the next five seasons:
“I think Charlotte fans should expect a playoff team. I think we’re going to bring energy every game and go out there and get as many wins as we can.”
Bulls Notes: Phillips, LaVine, Vucevic, Buzelis
With a path to playing time seemingly opened by the departures of two veteran wings, young Bulls forward Julian Phillips is hoping to get some extended run this season, writes K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago.
“Just my leadership and being around the ball,” Phillips said of his goals for his second Summer League with the Bulls this year. “Get loose balls, rebounds. Defense, get my hands on loose balls. Try to be all around.”
With ex-Bulls Alex Caruso and DeMar DeRozan having been sent to contending Western Conference squads, an opportunity could open up for Phillips to earn more rotation minutes this year. Phillips, for his part, seems grateful for the lessons learned from Caruso and DeRozan during his rookie season in 2023/24.
“They both helped and taught me a lot, so I appreciate them for everything,” Phillips said. “It’s not our job to worry about the roster decisions. That’s up to the front office. Our job is to be ready to play. We got a lot of great guys and we’ll be ready for it for sure.”
There’s more out of the Windy City:
- The Bulls received poor marks for their trades of Caruso and DeRozan from Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times, who is underwhelmed by the return for Caruso and believes the team waited too long to move on from DeRozan. Cowley adds that two of the club’s other pricey veterans, shooting guard Zach LaVine and center Nikola Vucevic, may be stuck on a rebuilding Chicago team for a while, as neither seems to have garnered much trade interest around the league.
- During his Summer League debut, a 96-89 win against the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday, Bulls lottery pick Matas Buzelis scored 15 points, grabbed seven boards and blocked two shots. He showed a knack for drawing contact in taking seven free throws during 29 minutes of action, and proved adept at defending the rack. Buzelis, however, was concerned by his 4-of-15 shooting line and some defensive decisions away from the rim, notes K.C. Johnson in another NBC Sports Chicago story. “Honestly, I was very sloppy,” Buzelis said. “I can play a lot better.”
- In case you missed it, Chicago recently waived two-way power forward RaiQuan Gray, acquired in the team’s three-team sign-and-trade deal that sent DeRozan to Sacramento.
Southwest Notes: Dudley, Lawson, Popovich, Hawkins
Mavericks assistant coach Jared Dudley has made no secret of the fact that he’s hoping to one day serve as a head coach in the league, per Joey Mistretta of ClutchPoints (Twitter video link).
“I want to head coach, that’s my dream and ambition is to be able to do that,” Dudley said. “But at the same time as you can have that, some us aren’t J.J. Redick and get to go right away. I’ve got to be able to do two, three years, four or five years as an assistant. We all have different years, and my time will come later on. My time will eventually come.”
Redick, a one-time former Maverick, took over as the Lakers’ head coach this offseason without any assistant coach experience at the NBA or college level.
Dudley, a 14-year combo forward as a pro, has served as an assistant coach under Jason Kidd since the 2021/22 season. During that window, the Mavericks have appeared in a pair of Western Conference Finals and one NBA Finals. Currently, Dudley is the head coach of the Mavs’ Summer League squad.
There’s more out of the Southwest:
- High-flying Mavericks wing A.J. Lawson is looking to show he belongs in the league as a regular rotation player, writes Eddie Sefko of Mavericks.com. Though he’s now on a standard contract, Lawson is still trying to prove his mettle on the club’s Summer League team. “The emphasis for me is definitely going to be defending,” Lawson said of his focus this summer. “I want to show I can defend one through four (point guards to power forwards). And also to be able to knock down the open shot. Everybody knows I got speed.”
- Longtime Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich discussed San Antonio’s offseason roster additions Chris Paul and Harrison Barnes in a courtside conversation with ESPN’s Doris Burke and Mark Jones (YouTube video link). “I think [Paul’s] going to teach everybody a whole lot better than I did,” Popovich said. “Having he and Harrison come into the fold at this stage in their career is really wonderful for the youth that we have.” Popovich also raved about No. 4 draft pick Stephon Castle: “I love his seriousness for such a young kid. I love his pace – you see his expression never changes – he doesn’t go too fast, doesn’t go too slow. He reads the situations. The more minutes he gets, the better he is going to be. He seeks contact, he is an excellent defender and he makes wonderful decisions.”
- Second-year Pelicans shooting guard Jordan Hawkins, the No. 14 pick out of UConn in 2023, knows exactly where he wants to improve his game this offseason, writes Christian Clark of NOLA.com. “Definitely the defensive end,” Hawkins said. “I think that’s what held me back a little bit. Not being able to guard. So I think my big focus is going to be on guarding. Trying to guard wings. Trying to get bigger. Shooting. Being a 40% three-point shooter for our team. We have guys who can penetrate, get to the hoop. I just have to be able to knock shots down.”
Ron Harper Jr. Signs Camp Contract with Celtics
The reigning champion Celtics are taking a flier on free agent combo forward Ron Harper Jr., having signed the former Raptors two-way player to a non-guaranteed training camp deal, per Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link).
After going undrafted out of Rutgers in 2022, the 6’4″ wing signed a two-way deal with Toronto, appearing in nine games during his rookie season. He agreed to a second two-way deal for 2023/24, as well, but was waived last December after appearing in just one contest for the Raptors.
All told, the 24-year-old has played in 10 NBA contests thus far, averaging 2.0 points on 50% field goal shooting, plus 0.7 rebounds and 0.5 assists a night.
He had a far more prolific role with the Raptors 905, Toronto’s G League affiliate. Harper averaged 16.7 points, 5.1 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.2 blocks and 1.0 steals per night on .501/.366/.776 shooting.
Harper evidently impressed Boston enough with his play on the team’s Summer League roster this month to earn a more extended look.
Suns Re-Sign Josh Okogie To Two-Year Contract
JULY 13: The Suns have officially re-signed Okogie to his two-year contract, according to the transaction log at NBA.com.
JULY 11: Free agent wing Josh Okogie has agreed to a two-year, $16MM contract to stay with the Suns, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (via Twitter) that the second season of the 6’4″ guard/forward’s deal will be non-guaranteed.
According to Charania and Gerald Bourguet of PHX Sports (Twitter links), Okogie had drawn some interest from several other clubs before ultimately deciding to return to Phoenix. Bourguet notes that the Suns used Okogie’s Early Bird rights to bring him back into the fold.
Cap expert Yossi Gozlan tweets that Okogie’s new detail will increase the Suns’ luxury tax penalty by an eye-popping $47MM.
The 25-year-old arrived in Phoenix in the 2022 offseason as a free agent after spending his first four pro seasons with the Timberwolves. Minnesota initially selected him with the No. 20 pick out of Georgia Tech in the 2018 draft.
Okogie has emerged as a valuable role player across two playoff seasons in the competitive Western Conference. In his 60 healthy games last season, Okogie averaged a modest 4.6 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 0.8 steals in just 16.0 minutes per night, with a shooting line of .417/.309/.745. He is more valued for his multifaceted defense than his scoring, however, a skill set that may be a bit harder to measure.
Kyle Lowry Signs One-Year Deal With Sixers
JULY 12: Lowry has officially signed his new contract, according to a team press release.
“Kyle is a floor general, the ultimate competitor, and a proven winner who has experienced success at the highest level. His return is vital to our quest toward bringing a championship back to the City of Philadelphia,” Morey said in a statement.
JULY 11: Free agent point guard Kyle Lowry is signing a new one-year contract to return to his hometown Sixers, sources inform Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). Charania didn’t report the terms of the deal, but Philadelphia can only offer the veteran’s minimum to free agents after using all of its cap space and its room exception.
Lowry shared the news himself in a fresh Instagram video.
The 38-year-old will be playing in his 19th NBA season in 2024/25. Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets that conversations between Philadelphia team president Daryl Morey and Lowry’s agent Mark Bartelstein of Priority Sports increased over the last week.
According to Woj, the Villanova alum had been weighing his options and considering several playoff hopefuls as he looks to win his second championship.
After starting out the 2023/24 season with the Heat, Lowry and his expiring $29.7MM contract were traded to the Hornets in exchange for the younger Terry Rozier, currently a more prolific offensive threat. Lowry negotiated a buyout and signed on with his hometown Sixers, where he quickly earned a backcourt starting role alongside All-Star point guard Tyrese Maxey with De’Anthony Melton injured.
Though he’s no longer a high-volume scorer, Lowry remains an efficient three-point threat and a surprisingly savvy defender whose solid frame allows him to match up with bigger players despite his 6’0″ height. Across his 23 regular season contests with the Sixers last year (20 starts), the six-time All-Star posted averages of 8.0 points, 4.6 assists, 2.8 rebounds, and 0.9 steals per night, with a shooting line of .444/.404/.848.
The Sixers have enjoyed perhaps the most productive offseason of any team this summer. Morey cleared out more than $53MM in cap space and pounced when star Clippers forward Paul George became available, quickly signing him to a four-year, maximum deal worth nearly $212MM.
Philadelphia also signed three-and-D small forward Caleb Martin, brought back rebounder extraordinaire Andre Drummond after his two-year Bulls stint, used their full room exception to re-sign swingman Kelly Oubre, signed sharpshooter Eric Gordon to a minimum contract, and signed restricted free agent Tyrese Maxey to a maximum deal via his Bird rights. The Sixers could still conceivably bring back free agent swingman KJ Martin, too, if the price is right.
All told, with this depth surrounding a new core of George, Maxey and perennial MVP candidate Joel Embiid, Philadelphia now looks like one of the best-equipped clubs in the East to challenge the Celtics for conference supremacy next season.
Stein’s Latest: Ingram, Lakers, Fournier, Hawks
Pelicans star forward Brandon Ingram has been one of the most frequently-floated names in trade discussions this summer.
According to Marc Stein at Substack, Ingram’s performance in the 2024 playoffs against the Thunder is among the factors that have given New Orleans’ potential trade partners pause. Stein also indicates that Ingram is seeking a four-year, $208MM contract extension on his current expiring deal.
League sources tell Stein that Ingram’s management is striving to help the Pelicans find a willing trade partner. As Stein writes, having the former All-Star play out his current expiring contract with the Pelicans and become an unrestricted free agent next summer likely isn’t the preferred outcome for either the player or team.
Here are more rumors from Stein:
- The Lakers are looking to create some additional cap flexibility in order to make use of their $5.2MM taxpayer mid-level exception. The team is currently right at the second tax apron, prohibiting L.A. from signing an outside free agent for more than the minimum. If the Lakers can shed some salary, free agent sharpshooter Gary Trent Jr. could be among the targets that make sense, Stein notes. The club currently has a full 15-man roster, so any cost-cutting move intended to make room for a free agent would also need to open up a roster spot.
- Sources inform Stein that the rebuilding Wizards have registered interest in free agent wing Evan Fournier, who could be a mentor to recent lottery picks and fellow Frenchmen Alex Sarr and Bilal Coulibaly.
- While starting center Clint Capela has been on the trade block for more than a year, new Hawks big man Larry Nance Jr. – added via the Dejounte Murray trade earlier this summer – is drawing more trade interest from rival teams, Stein writes. According to Stein, multiple clubs in need of more size have expressed interest in Nance.